


Dark Figures in Dark Places

by CreepyLittleLullaby



Series: Langst (Voltron Legendary Defender) [13]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Bilingual Lance (Voltron), Cuban Lance (Voltron), Gay Keith (Voltron), Hurt Lance (Voltron), Implied Childhood Sexual Abuse, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Insecure Lance (Voltron), Lance (Voltron) Angst, Lance (Voltron) Whump, Lance (Voltron) is a Mess, Lance (Voltron)-centric, Langst, M/M, Multi, Protective Shiro (Voltron)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-24
Updated: 2017-09-24
Packaged: 2019-01-05 00:20:27
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,563
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12179331
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CreepyLittleLullaby/pseuds/CreepyLittleLullaby
Summary: Just a small drabble/one-shot that I liked enough to post, enjoy starlings!Once is an accident.Twice is a coincidence.Third is a pattern.





	Dark Figures in Dark Places

The first time Keith noticed it, it wasn’t a big deal. They were just starting to see each other, the three of them. Lance didn’t know Shiro and Keith like they knew each other, only knowing Keith and Shiro as paladins and classmates at one time. So when Lance startled at them reaching for his shoulder from behind it was normal. The hesitation to take either one of the hands. Or the way he’d jolt when they brushed shoulders and look at them sheepishly. Cheeks burning with embarrassment and other emotions. Keith and Shiro reassuring Lance that it was fine. He was fine for being unused to and a little uncomfortable with physical affection at first. Lance smiled at them and they got used to each other. Lance wouldn’t jump at their sudden appearances, nor would he jolt away from the gentle touches or hand holds anymore.

The second time was when Shiro noticed it as a little more than disinterest. More of discomfort, Lance’s gaze immediately shooting away when Shiro would kiss Keith. Shy away from them when they tried to kiss his cheek or his lips. They confronted and dealt with it. Eventually Lance would stop trying to bolt every time they’d kiss him. Sometimes when they’d catch him in a good or relaxed mood he’d even lean in to their advances. Those were days that usually caused them both to notice the bad days more prominently.

The third time they both noticed. They knew something was wrong. It was almost a year and a half since they’d gotten together and Lance was usually okay with being touched. For all the flirting and innuendos he made, it was a surprise to find out Lance had never had a partner or apparently sex. Though, that was more assumed than known. Lance had never said anything about him personally ever having sex, but Lance was inexperienced for even kisses. The tan boy grew more comfortable with it. Never acted like he didn’t want to, never said anything either, and always assured them he did. He was just… not used to it. Even when Shiro could feel the harsh and nervous racing of Lance’s heart. Shiro always just thought it was nerves or excitement. Especially in their small moment of just the three of them. Until Keith’s hands wandered during the make out session and Lance jolted like he’d been electrocuted and stuttered his way away. Nearly sprinting away from them as if hell were grabbing at his ankles.

It hurt, Keith and Shiro weren’t going to lie. Seeing their beloved boyfriend run from their advances and not just say he wasn’t ready hurt quite a bit. Didn’t Lance trust them? Did he still want to be with them or was he second guessing their relationship this whole time and didn’t want to be touched by them? But both of them knew Lance well enough to know this wasn’t just between them either, and that Lance wouldn’t admit to anything being wrong. They knew his insecurities. They knew he liked to take what was wrong and bottle it up. Hide it with a smile until it festered and infect his entire mind and self. So, was it wrong of them to go over his head and go to Allura?

Lance was skinny as hell, and a surprisingly light sleeper. As nearly every time Shiro would even move his body an inch he’d stir lightly. So much so that Keith had to basically lure Lance to watch a movie with him. Keith was still unsure about the whole thing. But seeing the way Lance tensed up every time Keith even brushed his hand underneath the blanket, or the way that even drowsy and drifting off it took three movies to subtly coax Lance to let down his guard enough to fall asleep next to him. Keith felt more reassured that they needed to know how Lance was feeling. Before he bottled up so much that it’d explode.

Luckily, Allura was more than willingly to help them out with this task. She loved her paladins and the thought of being evasive with attention and physical touch didn’t settle well with her. So, she was more than happy to subtly attach Lance to a bonding machine and link it with the three of them. Allura wasn’t quite sure what she was expecting. Keith and Shiro were expecting doubts and insecurities.

They weren’t expecting this.

Images of a large man, with tan skin and dark hair. He almost looked like Lance, but the smirk that this man wore wasn’t anything like Lance’s mischievous smirks when he was playing. This man’s smirk was evil. Vile. It made Keith’s skin crawl with disgust. Feeling the rolling waves of Lance’s emotions at the man. Disgust. Pain. Fear. Uncertainty. Keith felt like he was going to throw up as the man reached out for Lance. Keith could see the hair falling in front of Lance’s eyes, tears starting to well up and blur his vision. Different times flashing by. Lance sitting next to the man on the couch. Family celebrations with the man’s hand on Lance’s shoulder. A tight firm grip in his hair. Knees on the floor.

“Be a good boy, Lance.”

“No, no, no. Tio. Please no.” It was thick with an accent, and higher pitch with fear and age. But Keith knew the voice even without having to think about it. It was Lance’s voice. A jolt of fear as the grip tighten and Lance’s smaller body was tugged along and shoved into a room. It was messy with an unmade bed. It smelled like sweat and soil. Lance’s shirt was tugged while the man smiled. And Lance closed his eyes as Keith felt the fear and cold of Lance being exposed before he practically threw the helmet off his head. Holding his hands over his mouth so he didn’t throw up as he fell to his knees. Leaning hunched over himself. Shiro and Allura’s reactions were less violent. Allura took off her helmet slowly, eyes glaringly angry at nothing.

“I’m going to commit homicide.” Allura grabbed Shiro’s helmet, tugging it off Shiro’s head. Shiro was just staring blankly. Hands twitching uselessly at his sides. “You’re going to help me commit homicide Shiro. We’re going to commit murder and I need an alibi. Keith. We were all hanging out in the Castle playing board games. Shiro. Get your gun, arm, whichever I don’t care. I’m making a worm hole and committing murder.” Keith clenched his fist while Shiro nodded numbly. Going to reach out for Lance to stroke his hair and take off the electrodes on his neck, but stopping short just of an inch. Hesitating to even touch Lance. Until a familiar slightly accented voice spoke.

“It’s okay. You can touch me.” Keith stared shocked. He’d been awake for that.

Had he seen it again?

“You were awake? Are you angry? I’m sorry Lance. We shouldn’t have done that.” Lance eyes opened easily, looking up lazily at Keith and Shiro like a car from his relaxed position on the couch. Blue eyes staring easily at all of them, watching carefully with the repressed emotions that they could see as fear. Fear from touch. Fear of that large figure hovering over him. Foreboding. They could see it now. Understand it now. Yet Lance didn’t argue against Keith’s rambling and their obvious advantages over him. He was trusting them to not hurt him.

“Yeah, I was awake. I haven’t slept well since. You know. But I’m not angry. It’s okay. It’s probably good you did that. I wouldn’t have told you at all if you didn’t. I don’t like to talk about it. I don’t know how to talk about it.” Shiro stroke Lance’s hair, scooting closer so that Lance’s head was in his lap. Keith crawling closer to lean his head against Lance’s chest. Feeling the rapid beat of his heart. He felt more angry and depressed by the way Lance’s heart was thrumming. It went faster every time one of them even moved.

He was going to kill that man. He was going to commit murder. Homicide. Someone was going to die and pay for all the pain that Lance had gone through. Lance, happy, cheery, beautiful Lance. He didn’t deserve any of that. No one did. But especially not Lance.

Not the Lance who coddled Pidge. Taking care of her like a doting older brother even though she was quite the handful sometimes. Not Lance who listened to Coran’s stories and always lended a hand in cleaning the castle and the lions. Not Lance who helped his best friend in the kitchen, sharing jokes and laughing. Not the Lance who flirted with Allura, showing her compassion and taking her mind off the harsh reality. Not Lance. The boy they loved so, so, so much.

Keith nuzzled his head further into Lance’s chest, almost purring as Lance brought a hand to run through his dark hair. The long thin fingers threading through Keith’s long hair easily and smoothly. Massaging his scalp as Keith only curled closer, grip tightening as Shiro’s own grip on both of them tightened to.

Nothing would hurt him like that again.

Nothing would ever hurt any of them again.

Not when they were three.

Not when they had each other like this.

Never. Again.


End file.
